A Scoundrel's Bargain
by klaroline-heaven
Summary: Lady Caroline hasn't had it easy ever since her father's death and her brother's gambling problem came to light and it only gets worse when their childhood acquaintance returns hellbent on revenge.
1. Chapter 1

Hey guys! So, I am here with a new fanfic and I really hope y'all will like it! I would like to thank Diana for the lovely cover that she made for this fanfic :) Enjpy!

A Scoundrel's Bargain

Lady Caroline hasn't had it easy ever since her father's death and her brother's gambling problem came to light and it only gets worse when their childhood acquaintance returns hellbent on revenge.

* * *

The orchestra played their music smoothly as the _beau monde_ conversed with one another. Caroline Forbes stood away from prying eyes and near a large green plant. As her eyes wandered over the people that were attending, she spotted a flash of yellow-golden hair.

"Matt," she said under her breath as she watched her older brother make his way into the card room.

Frowning, the blonde followed her brother into the card room, only to realize that he was already seated at a table and had a deck of cards in his hands. With her hands cocked on her hips, she marched right over to her idiot brother and as she was about to snatch the deck of cards from him, she heard a laugh that brought back memories from her childhood.

Swallowing the lump that was beginning to form in her throat, Caroline slowly turned around and her breath hitched in her throat as she looked upon a man that resembled the youth that she had a crush on as a child, but the gangly youth was no more. In his place stood a man that was taller than most with lean muscles and sun-kissed bronze skin. His unruly dirty blonde curls were now cut shorter and the peppering of light hair on his jaw made him even more appealing.

"Hello, Carey." He drawled as he stopped right in front of her and his eyes roamed over her front appreciatively.

"Sir," she responded in kind, her voice devoid of all emotion as she eyed him with fire in her bright blue eyes.

"Oh, come on now... Do not tell me that you have forgotten that infatuation you have had with me."

"I was a child back then, my lord." She told him as she crossed her arms over her chest, unconsciously pushing her breasts upward. "Now, I am a woman." Caroline told him matter-of-factly.

"I can tell," he winked, a smirk on his lips as he licked his full lips and looked directly at her middle.

"Remove your gaze from my person right this instant, my lord. Unless of course you would like to have your eyes gouged out."

"Touché," he smirked. "Looky here, Matty Boy... Your sister seems to have become a hoyden ever since my departure."

"I was a hoyden before your departure, my lord. You just never noticed, so that is none of my concern." She shrugged before she looked away from him and placed her hand on her brother's shoulder.

"We are going home, brother." Caroline told Matt as she shook his shoulder when he didn't budge.

"Carey, go on home yourself. The carriage is outside, after all and the night is still far too young to retire." He told her, his voice slurring and the blonde felt her spirits drop, but kept on a brave facade.

"I am not leaving without you, Matthew Forbes. Now, get up off your behind before I make you." She said even though she knew that there were a bunch of men surrounding her as well as her childhood infatuation.

"Well, well..." Klaus said. "It seems like you finally have a mama, Matty Boy."

Gritting her teeth, Caroline turned on Klaus with her hands clenched into fists as the tick in her jaw began to move.

"Nobody asked for your opinion, you cad!" The blonde burst out as she stomped right over to him and raised her hand in an attempt to slap him.

Before she could strike him, however, he grabbed her gloved hand and his mouth curled backwards as he showed her his straight teeth.

"It seems like Miss Forbes does have a feisty nature, indeed." One of the men said from behind Klaus as his dark eyes roamed over the blonde in a not-so-subtle way.

"Yes, it does." Klaus agreed. "But the show is over, gentlemen. Also, a private word if you will, Miss Forbes." Klaus told her and as the blonde was going to respond with a witty remark, she saw his eyes darken and swallowed the lump that was beginning to form in her throat.

As the gentlemen parted for the two, Klaus led Caroline over to the double doors that led to the terrace, but before they stepped outside, he looked at the men with a serious expression on his face.

"Miss Forbes and I will keep the terrace doors open and we will remain within seeing distance, so if either of you decide to create a scandal out of nothing, mark my words that your days will be numbered." He threatened them, but those present knew that he meant it. "Also, if you do see something that is deemed inappropriate amongst the ton, the same applies. As long as the lot of you keep your mouths shut, all will be well."

With those parting words, he pulled Caroline onto the terrace.

"Let me go, bloody scoundrel!" She cried out as he tightened his hold on her arm and stared deep into her eyes.

"Silence, Carey. That is all I ask." He said.

"I do not care for what you ask, sir. Now, before I hit you someplace it will hurt, I advise you to release me at once."

"As the lady deems necessary, I will do just that." He told her as he released his hold on her arm. "But do not think of bolting, sweetheart."

"It is Miss Forbes to you, sir." She corrected him as she narrowed her bright blue eyes at him.

"Miss Forbes, then." He repeated with a roll of his eyes.

"Good," she said, giving him a hard nod.

"Very well, so now that we have that settled, what in the bloody hell are you thinking speaking out loud in front of those men?"

"I can care less about those men, sir." She said. "And as a matter of fact, I can care less about you." The blonde added as an afterthought.

"You seem a tad bit angry, Caroline." He told her as he nodded in her direction. "Perhaps before you speak you should think what it is you wish to say."

"I do not need any lessons in propriety from you of all people, sir. After all, aren't you the one who holds a gaming hell within a place that is unsuitable?"

"Yes, as a matter of fact I do, but I must admit that I am surprised that you know such information considering you are known to be a sensible and innocent young lady."

Snorting, Caroline looked away from him and looked out onto the garden.

"How I act is only of my concern and not yours. Now, as we speak about such empty matters, my brother is in there making a fool of himself as he bets money that we do not have."

"Did your father not leave you a sufficient amount of money before his passing?" Klaus questioned as his lips curled in disgust at the thought of the blonde's father who was the man that caused such misery to his family.

"No, actually. He did, however, leave us in debt to a number of different people hence the reason I am trying to remove my brother from the presence of you lot."

"Oh, I don't think that he will be going home with you, sweetheart. After all, I do intend to invite him to my gaming hell, personally."

"No," she said as she narrowed her eyes at him and the crease appeared between her eyebrows, making her appear like a scolding matron.

"No? Is that your way of warning me off?" He questioned as he chuckled and began shaking his head.

"Yes," she said. "Leave my brother out of your debauchery, Niklaus Mikaelson! I will not have you poisoning his mind with thoughts of attending that place you call a business."

"Actually, it is a rather good business considering that I am swimming in money. Who would have thought that so many of the London elite would find solace in a gaming hell filled with drinking, gambling, and far too much whoring?"

"I do not care about how successful your business is, Niklaus." The blonde snapped. "The point is that I want you to keep Matt out of your affairs."

"I'm afraid I cannot do that, love. After all, when we were kids, Matt and I were like brothers and I intend to salvage our kinship now that I have returned."

Scowling, Caroline narrowed her eyes at him before she turned on her heel and marched away from him with her head held high.

"I do not think we finished our conversation, Carey." He drawled, chuckling as he approached her once again.

Clenching her hands into fists, she turned on him with a fierce expression on her lovely face and her nose twitched adorably.

"Go to the devil!" She cried out as she jabbed a finger into his chest.

"Will do," he responded. "But only if you come with me." He added as his eyes twinkled suggestively.

With a harumph, Caroline walked away from him and he didn't stop her. He simply stared after her as he shook his head and crossed his arms over his chest.

It seemed like the little fire cracker from him youth was just about ready to detonate.

* * *

Later that evening, the footman helped Caroline into the carriage and as she sat down, Matt entered with his eyes glassed over because of too much drink.

"You are coming home?" The blonde questioned as her eyes lit up and she sat forward in her seat.

"Yes," he responded, not daring to meet her eyes. He simply looked out the window and tapped the ceiling of the carriage.

With a lurch, the carriage took off and headed in the direction of their town house. The siblings sat in silence for a couple of minutes, but then Caroline spoke up.

"Matty, are you alright?" She asked as she took a shaky breath and moved to sit beside him.

"Of course," he nodded. "I am simply tired after the day that I had."

"Did you lose again?" She asked, holding her breath because she knew that they were already in a dire financial situation. After all, before their father's death, William Forbes invested money into a number of unsuccessful businesses.

"I do not wish to speak with you on that topic, Caroline. Leave it be." He commanded as the carriage came to a stop and the footman knocked before he opened the door.

Jumping out of the carriage, Matt pushed past the footman and stormed into their townhouse, not waiting for his younger sister.

"Miss Forbes," the footman said as he held out his hand. Placing her hand in the footman's, she stepped down and then looked up at the kind man.

"Thank you, Jamie." Caroline mumbled before she moved towards the entrance of the townhouse.

As Caroline entered the townhouse, she looked over at the elderly butler and smiled at him before she moved further into her home. Moving towards the staircase, the blonde put one foot in front of the other until she arrived at her bedroom door.

Turning the knob, she entered the baby blue colored bedroom and moved to her white four poster bed that stood in the center. Taking a seat on the edge, she moved her hands down her dress and straightened the wrinkles before she felt the moisture building up in her eyes.

Swallowing the sudden lump that was forming in her throat, she shook her head and thought of the better days. Unfortunately, there were not many memories that she could recall of her mother who passed away when Caroline was only of two years. Then again, there were times when her usually neglectful father showed her that he cared, but the only good memories that could truly come to the surface were those that involved the whole of the Mikaelson family.

After all, Klaus' family was one that had both a mother and father that knew how to love their children and doted on them with large smiles on their faces. Mikael Mikaelson and Esther Mikaelson were one of the lucky couples in London considering that they had a love match and six children to show for it.

Shaking her head, Caroline lay back on the chaise and shut her eyes as she thought about how much Klaus changed. When Caroline was a child of barely ten years old, she would bother Klaus with her incessant ways to get his attention because she was enamored with him.

"My how things have changed." She said out loud as she stood up and moved towards the bedroom door because she was in need of a glass of water.

As she opened the door, she heard Matt's footsteps getting farther away and immediately hiked her skirts up in order to follow him. As she moved down the stairs, the butler just shut the door and Caroline narrowed her eyes.

"Where has Matthew gone, Higgins?" Caroline asked the elderly butler with a curious expression on her face.

"I know not for sure, but I heard him mumbling about Jermyn Street." Higgins responded because he himself was worried about the young lord that seemed to be headed towards a downward spiral ever since the death of his father, the Earl.

"Bloody hell," Caroline said as she pulled open the door and moved to the carriage that Jamie stood by with a confused look on his face.

"Where is Matthew?" Caroline questioned as her eyes widened and she waited for Jamie to respond.

"Lord Forbes entered a carriage with a crest and a lion on the front." Jamie told her as he shifted from one foot to the other uncomfortably.

"Very well," she nodded. "Follow the carriage, Jamie." She ordered as she opened the carriage door and sat down on the cushioned seat.

"My lady?" Jamie said. "Are you certain?"

"Of course I am," she nodded. "Now hurry before we lose him."

"Yes, my lady." he responded as he shut the door.

When the carriage began moving, Caroline thought about Jermyn Street and all of the clubs that were littered around that area. Biting down on her bottom lip, she realized that Klaus' gaming hell was located there as well. Uttering a curse under her breath, she tapped her foot on the floor impatiently as her hands clenched into fists.

She was going to give Niklaus Mikaelson a lashing down of the century and she was going to make sure that he understood that making an enemy out of her was not going to be a good idea.

* * *

There you have it! Shall I continue?

Please Leave Feedback!

~Hana :p


	2. Chapter 2

Hey guys! So, I was going to delete this fanfic, but I thought about it and realize that it may be a pretty good idea. So, I do hope you guys enjoy it :)

* * *

Soon thereafter, Jamie left Caroline by the door of one of the most well-known gaming hells in a London.

Though he did it with unease, Caroline was able to get him to leave.

"Miss Caroline, perhaps this is a bad idea? If you would like, I can go inside and make sure that his lordship hasn't done anything that may put him in jeopardy."

"I thank you for your concern, Jamie, but please do not worry. Everything is going to work out fine and I find that I just speak to the owner of this gaming hell alone."

"Miss Caroline, do you really believe this is a good idea?"

"Probably not, but I do not have much of a choice. Now, I am counting on your discretion, Jamie."

"Of course, Miss Caroline. Surely you know that I would never betray you nor his lordship."

"I do," she smiled as she patted him affectionately on the shoulder before he helped her down the steps.

When the blonde was alone, she swallowed the lump that was beginning to form in her throat and kept her head held high. It wouldn't do to come into the gaming hell quivering in her slippers, now would it?

With a short pep talk to herself, she knocked on the door and tapped her foot on the floor impatiently as the minutes ticked by.

Finally, a man in his mid-forties opened the door for her and asked for her name.

"I am not on the list, but I find that I am in dire need of speaking to the owner of this establishment."

"A fine establishment, miss." He corrected her. "But still, I cannot bid you entry if your name is not on the list. Surely, you understand."

"As a matter of fact, I don't understand. Now please do go on up to your employer and tell him that... Carey is waiting for him." Caroline told him as she crossed her arms over her chest and took a seat on a sofa made out of velvet.

This was not some poor-handled establishment, the blonde could tell- but still, it wasn't one that was very proper either.

"Yes, miss." The man said, sounding annoyed yet doing as she bid him to.

At least his employees had some sort of manners, Caroline thought as she leaned back on the sofa and crossed one leg over the other like the prim and proper miss that she was.

* * *

Standing in his office, Klaus watched what transpired in the public rooms below. Men of the aristocracy were drinking to excess and were gambling away their fortunes. It seemed the perfect night, to be quite honest. Still, his thoughts strayed to the fiery beauty that seemed to enjoy putting him in his place.

However, it was of no surprise that she was able to do just that considering just who raised her. After all, when William Forbes was alive he could be very persuasive and do whatever it is that he set his mind to. That persuasion of his cost Klaus half his family- both his parents were dead and his siblings were scattered around England.

He knew this for a fact because of the bow street runners that he hired, but even though he now had the means to return his family to how they were before that day over a decade ago, he found that he was not quite ready to face them.

Sighing, he turned when a knock sounded on his door and bid whomever it was on the other side to enter.

His man at the front of his establishment entered and he looked over at him with a confused expression in his stormy blue-gray eyes.

"Everything alright, Victor?" He asked as he made his way over to the older man.

"My lord, please do forgive my interruption, but there is a lady waiting for you at the door and she says that she must speak to you urgently."

"Very well, does this 'lady' have a name?" He wondered as he took a seat on one of the chairs.

"She does- she says her name is Carey."

"Carey?" He asked, genuinely confused, but then he realized who it is. "That insufferable woman!" He shouted, the irritation evident in his voice. "Show her up."

"Yes, my lord." Victor answered as he quickly made his way out of the door.

A couple of minutes later, there was a knock on his door and he barked for the person to enter.

Caroline Forbes entered, wearing the dress that she wore earlier that night and he found it hard for him to keep his eyes from roaming over her beautiful body. Her blonde tendrils seemed wind blown and he swallowed as his eyes met her own.

Her bright blue eyes were lit up with anger and she marched over to him without hesitation.

"Little Miss Caroline Forbes, to what do I owe the pleasure?" He purred as he licked his full lips.

"You're a bloody scoundrel, do you know that?" She asked as she narrowed her eyes at him.

"I've been called worse, but yes I do. What does me being a scoundrel have anything to do with you- a lady of the realm may I add- being in my gaming hell?"

"Do you think that I want to be here?" She questioned as her hands clenched into fists.

"Well considering that you are here, I do believe so, yes. Am I mistaken?"

"Of course you are! I would have been a happy person if I never set foot into such an establishment, but since my brother is here- gambling no doubt, I had to speak to you."

"About what? If you wish me to have your brother removed, that will not happen."

"My brother is making a bloody fool of himself, though? He is gambling away everything that we have- everything that my father worked so hard for."

"Mention your father and I'll have you out of here in no time." He warned as his voice took on a menacing tone. He didn't want to hear her going on about what a wonderful man her father was when in reality he was nothing but a coward who stole what rightfully belonged to Klaus' father.

"I don't know why you dislike my father so much, but he was a good man. If you want to have me manhandled in order to get me out of here then you can try, but you best believe I'll come back."

"Your father was nothing but an arrogant arse who took advantage of the people who believed in him. That is who your father was and perhaps in your eyes he was some man who deserves everything he had, but he didn't."

"I didn't come here to talk about my father, Niklaus. I need you to have Matt banned from this establishment."

"Like I said before, no. I will not take away Matt's membership just because you asked me too."

"What happened to you?" She asked as she shut her eyes and shook her head. "We used to be such good friends."

"Life happened." He shrugged. "After your Saint of a father as you see him threw us out of our home and took everything that we had."

"Papa wouldn't do that." Caroline denied. "You simply don't remember what occurred which is why you're blaming him, but my father was an innocent party."

"Get out," he commanded as he pointed at the door.

"I am not going anywhere!" She cried out as she held her ground and stared him down. "Ban my brother from this place and I will happily leave with a smile on my face." She added as she watched him through angry cornflower blue eyes.

"Even if I do ban your brother, he still has debts that must be repaid and I cannot let him go simply because we were acquainted years ago."

"Matt was your best friend." She reminded him. "Does that not count as anything to you? Has your heart truly turned into stone? Or are you doing this just because you think my father ruined your family's life?"

"As a matter of fact, yes my heart has turned to stone considering everything that I have been through in the past couple of years." He shrugged. "Now how about you head downstairs and leave this place? Your delicate sensibilities have surely taken a shock." He said, his voice flat.

"As you may remember, nothing ever shocked me, so I am fine here, thank you very much." The blonde shot back, the sarcasm evident in her voice. "Now, how much does my brother owe you?"

"Not so much me, but the club." He corrected. "And he owes a lot, darling. More than most see in their lifetime."

"How much?" She repeated as she watched him with curiosity.

With a shrug, Klaus made his way behind his mahogany desk and took out a ledger.

Flipping through the pages, he hummed a tune that she couldn't recognize and realized that she was growing aggravated.

"Well?" She questioned as she tapped her foot on the carpet covered floor.

"Ah, here we are." He said aloud as he took out a pair of spectacles and she rolled her eyes at his little show.

"I doubt you need those." She told him as she shook her head and crossed her arms over her middle.

"No, I don't need them, but don't they just make me look spectacular?" He questioned, getting on her nerves.

Deciding to ignore him, the blonde made her way over to the chair across from him and plopped down before crossing one leg over the other. Fixing her skirts around her, she felt his eyes on her and looked up at him under her eyelids. It seemed as though he was transfixed with her gown covered legs…

When Caroline cleared her throat, he looked up at her face and removed his glasses before he pointed at Matt's name.

"According to my ledger, Matthew Eric Donovan owes the club twenty five thousand pounds and there is a percentage on the debt."

"Twenty five thousand pounds? Did I just hear that correctly?" She asked, the surprise and shock evident in her voice.

"Yes, and as I said the percentage is rising everyday." Klaus added as he shut the ledger and placed it on his desk.

"That can't be right." She shook her head. "Surely there is another Matthew Eric Donovan amongst the men of England."

"I'm sorry to say, but it isn't a mistake. Your brother needs to stop building his debt or else I will have no choice but to- well, deal with him."

"Did you just threaten my brother? Your former best friend? Are you bloody serious right now?" Caroline questioned, as her voice grew louder.

"Such language does not become you, love." He chastised as he crossed his arms over his lean chest.

"You're right." She simply said. "You have changed and not in a good way, my lord. But please, you have to ban Matt from your club."

"I cannot do that on good authority considering that he hasn't done anything against the rules."

"Surely his rising debt is something… I am certain that you can think of a reason to have him banned. I am not one to beg, but my family is on the brink of ruin and if Matt does not stop with his gambling, everything that is not entailed will be taken away from us."

"That's not my problem." He shrugged. "Any friendship that we may have had years ago no longer exists and I get that you are trying to get me to understand that I should want to help you, but that's not in the books any longer. Matt is simply a patron of my establishment."

"Listen," she said as she stood up and moved behind his desk. "I never asked you for anything in my life, so I am asking you now- ban Matt from this place and forget the debts he owes."

"I'm sorry, but I can't." He shook his head.

"There has to be something that I can do that will change your mind."

Taking a moment to think about it, he shook his head before he took a step away from her.

"I'm sorry, but there is nothing that you can do."

"There has to be something." She repeated. "And earlier tonight you told me that you wanted to salvage the kinship that you had with my brother."

"I do, but Matt is a grown man, love… You may think that he needs babying, but at the end of the day he knows his own self. If he is still in my gaming hell then that should tell you something."

"Like what?" She questioned.

"He's living in the now and not thinking about the future." He shrugged. "Now, I really think that you should go before anybody sees you. I may have silenced the men at the ball, but I can't do that now."

"I'll find a way to change your mind." She told him before she gave him a nod and turned on her heel. "Good night."

"Good night," he nodded just as she made her way out of his office.

* * *

There you have it! This chapter was short, but hopefully it gave you guys more of a feel and you can count on Caroline finding a way to get Klaus to do as she pleases ;)

Please Leave Feedback!

~Hana :p


	3. Chapter 3

Hey guys! So, I am finally back with a new chapter and I hope you lovelies enjoy it! Also, I want to apologize for not updating my other stories. This semester has been hectic thus far!

* * *

When Caroline returned home, she climbed the stairs and as she moved towards her bedchamber, she yawned.

After such a long night, it was no surprise that she was exhausted, but no matter how badly she wanted to climb into bed and sleep for eternity, she couldn't. After all, she kept thinking of the way Klaus refused to do anything to help her with Matt.

She knew that it has been years since they last saw one another, but nonetheless she thought perhaps that he would want the best for the person that was his bestest friend when he was a child. It seemed that wasn't the case, unfortunately.

Moving into her bedchamber, she shut the door and began undoing the buttons on her dress. Then, she went over to her bed and picked up her nightgown.

Once she was dressed for bed, she got under her covers and shut her eyes. A good ten minutes later, she gave up on the notion that she would be getting any sleep and looked up at the ceiling.

As she started to count to one hundred in hopes of thinking of something other than the dire straits that she and her brother were currently in, she heard jolly laughter coming from below.

Sitting up, she jumped out of her bed and ran out into the corridor before she made her way down the stairs.

When she spotted her brother's blonde head, a huge smile appeared on her lips as she went over to embrace him. Stopping short, she looked behind her brother and there Niklaus Mikaelson stood in the flesh.

"You," she said as her eyes narrowed and she crossed her arms over her chest.

"We seem to have disturbed your slumber. Do forgive us, love." Klaus said, though he didn't sound sorry at all.

"Oh, don't think twice about it. I was beginning to doze off, but now I am wide awake. So, thank you, my lord." Caroline curtsied. "I shall take care of my brother and you can leave here with a clear conscious."

"Not so fast," he said aloud just as Matt tilted to the side.

Immediately, Caroline grabbed onto his arm and held him tightly.

"Matty," Caroline said as she looked at him in desperation. Her bright blue eyes were filling with tears and she began blinking rapidly. After all, she refused to cry in front of the man who refused to help her.

"Bed," her brother simply responded and she nodded quickly before she took him by the arm and moved in the direction of the staircase.

Her brother was leaning against her and she inhaled a sharp breath. As she leaned to the side to accommodate him, she winced at the pain in her right hip.

"Allow me," Klaus said just as Caroline and Matt went up one step.

Though Caroline wanted to argue, she couldn't help but accept his help. After all, Matt was now leaning against Klaus who was closer to him in height.

Rubbing at her hip, she gave him a slight nod before she moved in front of him.

Together, the trio made their way upstairs with Matt barely doing anything. Caroline pushed open her brother's bedchamber and ran to the four poster bed in order to turn down the covers.

"Over here," she whispered as she looked around and took in the mess.

Klaus did as he was bade and once Matt was lying down, she undid his waistcoat and undid his cravat as well as the first two buttons. Then, she removed his shoes.

When he was tucked in, Caroline turned in Klaus's direction and motioned for him to follow her out into the corridor.

Descending the staircase, she led him to the study and sat behind the large mahogany desk.

"Sit," she mumbled and he did.

"You seem to have much experience when it comes to taking care of your drunken brother. Is a nightly routine of some sort?"

"Matt has been spiraling downhill ever since our fa- never mind." She shook her head as she sighed and leaned back in the comfortable chair.

"I see," he murmured and she felt her throat tightening, but refused to break down in front of him.

"Thank you for your assistance, my lord." Caroline stated, genuinely grateful for his help even though she didn't want to be.

"Think nothing of it," he shook his head. "And why in the blazes does Matt's bedchamber look like it hasn't been cleaned in ages? Also, where was his valet? Surely he did not retire before his master returned…"

"As I have been trying to tell you for the last couple of hours, my family is on the brink of ruin- financial ruin first and foremost."

"Then what money is your brother using at my gaming hell?"

"How am I supposed to know? Or as a matter of fact, it may just be my dowry. These ledgers haven't had anything added to them in a while."

"Your dowry? And you are calm as though it is a daily occurrence? I would think you would want him to stop his spending."

"Did you not listen to a word I said in that establishment of yours? I asked you to ban Matt and to remove his debts out of the goodness of your heart, but you refused."

"I refused because if word gets out that I have forgiven one man's debt, all others would come knocking on my door."

"If you really wanted to help my brother, you would have. Obviously, you wish to see our family suffer for something we know nothing about, so kindly leave my sight."

"Caroline…" He started, but she held up a finger.

"I don't want to hear it," she announced. "I've had enough of you to last me a lifetime…"

"And what of you asking what you could do to have me forgive your brother's debts? Have you decided to leave him to his own devices then?"

Gritting her teeth, Caroline inhaled a deep breath and exhaled in order to get her emotions under control.

"What is it that I can do?" She asked and a mischievous smile appeared on his full, delicious lips.

"Though my gaming hell is known for drink, cards, and women, I find myself without a dancer to entertain the guests. There was a woman, but it seems like she has decided to run off with one of the frequent visitors- a lowly baron if I recall correctly."

"I do not dance." She immediately said, but he tilted his head not believing her.

"Shall I remind you of that time, then?" He questioned, but didn't wait for her response.

* * *

 _A Few Years Ago_

 _Caroline made her way into the meadow that she favored and sat down on the warm grass. The warm breeze passed through her and she smiled sadly. It seems that nowadays her father was growing more and more distant as well as aggravated._

 _With a sigh, Caroline lay back on the grass and looked up watching the puffy, white clouds._

 _Then, the birds began to chirp and she got on her feet and swiveled around, feeling truly happy in a while._

 _Though she wanted her brother nearby, it looked like he had better things to do with boys that were his age. A couple of them being their next door neighbors- the Mikaelson's…_

 _Caroline smiled as she thought about her friend Rebekah and scowled when she thought of the blonde haired, blue-eyed Mikaelson that treated her like an annoying child._

 _Shaking her head, she began dancing with everything that she had. Though her father didn't fancy when she danced, he said nothing when her governess taught her how the different steps. After all, in a couple of years she would have her come out and as soon as she had the voucher from Almack's, she would be able to waltz._

" _How exciting," she said aloud and just as she was going to make a flip, she heard laughter from behind her._

 _Stopping in her tracks, she turned and flushed crimson at the sight of Klaus Mikaelson._

" _Oh do continue," he urged. "I was enjoying the show thoroughly, squirt." He announced._

 _Swallowing hard subtly, the blonde looked at him and snapped out of the trance that he seemed to put her under all the time._

" _Squirt?" She questioned as she crossed her arms over her chest in annoyance. "As I said countless times, you may call me Miss Forbes."_

" _Nah," he shook his head. "I'd rather call you squirt or Carey."_

" _Suit yourself," she shrugged. "But do leave me to my own devices. I was enjoying myself until you decided to put an end to that."_

" _Have you finally realized that your little obsession with me was for naught?" He asked._

" _As a matter of fact, yes I have. Now I understand what an arse you are, my lord."_

" _An arse? Such foul language does not suit you, my dear. And anyway, you're still a child, so so stick to the words that you understand."_

" _Oh, I understand what an arse is, sir. It's another word for buttocks." She said matter-of-factly and lifted her chin defiantly._

 _Chuckling, he approached her and stopped when he was right in front of her._

 _Though Caroline wanted to take a step back, it seemed like she simply couldn't as his scent assailed her nostrils._

" _You've grown, sweetheart. Nonetheless, you remain a child in my eyes."_

" _And you remain an arse in mine. Is there anything else or will you excuse me?"_

 _Narrowing his stormy blue-grays at her, he moved closer to her. Now, there was no space separating them…_

 _Caroline swallowed as he moved his face closer to hers and before she knew what was happening, his lips were on her own._

 _At twelve, Caroline knew not what was going on. His gentle lips, however, made her feel- something… The blonde kissed him back, not knowing if she was doing it correctly, but he seemed to like it._

 _He pulled her flat against his chest and she didn't know what to do with her hands- should she put her palms on his chest? Should she simply keep them up?_

 _Before she could answer her own questions, Klaus was pulling away and her eyes drifted open._

 _Looking at him dreamily, she gave him a shy smile and he burst out laughing._

" _Your infatuation with me remains, love." He simply said before he turned on his heel and walked away from her._

 _When Caroline was alone, she sat down on the grass just as her tears made an appearance. Niklaus Mikaelson was a terrible person!_

* * *

Present:

"I said it then and I'll say it again. You're an arse." She announced before she stood up and went over to the door. "Now, it's late and I would like to get back into bed before dawn."

"By all means, but I'll just follow you up there." He stated and her hands clenched into fists.

"Good night, sir." She said with a shrug, deciding not to deal with the man tonight.

"My offer stands, Caroline. Dance at the gaming hell and I'll ban your brother as well as remove his debts."

"My lord, if you're in such a dire need of a dancer, then simply head to Drury Lane and hire one. As you said countless times before, I am a lady that must have delicate sensibilities." She mimicked, trying to sound masculine.

"The men who frequent my club will not know that it is you. You'll wear a wig and perhaps a scarf over your mouth and nose."

"I will not be wearing a wig." She shook her head. "As to the scarf, I shall let you know when I have a clear head. Now, however, you must go and allow me to care for my brother."

"Your brother is fast asleep, I am sure."

"Not for long," she said under her breath as she thought of other nights when he returned home drunk only to stay up the night emptying his contents.

"Where are your servants, Caroline? Surely you have some…"

"Some, yes." She admitted. "Not many," Caroline added as an afterthought.

"Do you have a valet? Maids? A butler?"

"Not that it is any of your business, but I do have a butler as well as a cook and footman."

"That's it? Where have the others gone? Who cleans your home?"

"I do," the blonde answered.

"But- but you're a lady of the realm. You aren't supposed to do anything, but embroider and watercolor."

"I'm not shallow, my lord." She argued. "I can take care of myself and Matt just fine. Also, I don't mind the workload, so fret not. Return to your den of rakish pursuits and leave me be."

"Fine," he huffed. "But when will you tell me whether or not you agree to my offer?"

"Soon," she simply said and he nodded, making his way out of the study and then the house.

When Caroline was alone, she sat down on the first step and put her face in her hands.

 _What was she going to do? Accept his offer or allow Matt to squander the rest of what they had?_

* * *

There you have it, darlings! So, I hope you guys enjoyed it because I definitely loved writing this chapter and the next ones will hopefully be written in a timely fashion!

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~Hana :p


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